Spray timer



Feb. 14, 1961 HARRls 2,971,382

SPRAY TIMER Filed June 23, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 1o [HIP II I' lll|| 1 I INVENT OR Dwight E. Harris mm I I ILLLIi. ATTORNEYS D. E. HARRIS Feb. 14, 1961 SPRAY TIMER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 23, 1958 Dwiqht E. Harris ATTORNEYS Feb. 14, 1961 D. E. HARRIS SPRAY TIMER 3 Sheets$heet 3 Filed June '23, 1958 1N VENTOR Dwiqh'l' E. Harris ATTORNEYS nite States tent 2,971,382 Patented Feb. 14, 1961 SPRAY TIMER Dwight E. Harris, Watertown, Conn assignor to The Lux Clock Manufacturing Company,. Incorporated, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed June 23, 1958, Ser. No. 743,841

10 Claims. (Cl. 74-352) This invention relates to devices for periodic and automatic dispensing of material, and relates more particularly to an electrically operated spray timer for removable connection to a conventional valved dispenser of the type in which a fluid to be dispensed is maintained under a pressure which exceeds atmospheric pressure. Pressurized dispensers of this type commonly contain aerosols in which the fluid to be dispensed is suspended in a liquefied gas. The spray timer may be employed for periodically dischargingan insecticide, a deodorant or a medicinal preparation, for example, under conditions where it is desirable to effect discharge of the material at intervals of, say, ten minutes, and under conditions where it is also desirable to control the duration of each discharge so that the discharge lasts for only a second or two, for example.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved spray timer of the character described above.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a spray timer which is electrically operated, a simple cam arrangement for discharging material at predetermined intervals and for controlling the duration of each discharge.

Another object is to provide a spray timer which may be removably connected to a conventional dispenser of pressurized material and which derives its-sole support from the top of the dispenser.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the two forms of the spray timer shown in the accompanying drawings and described in detail hereinafter.

,In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the front of the improved spray timer and showing the timer associated with a dispenser for pressurized material;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating, in elevation and partially in section, the left side of the timer;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a part broken away and illustrating the right side of the timer;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the front of the timer and on the scale of Fig. 2, the parts of the timer being in position to effect a discharge from the dispenser, and the front frame member of the timer being broken away to better illustrate certain parts of the mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but illustrates the position of the parts of the timer immediately following the termination of the discharge from the dispenser;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the carrier lever employed in the timer;

Fig. 7 is a plan View of the latch member or lever carried by the carrier lever;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the trip lever for the latch lever;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the actuating lever which cooperates with the latch lever;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but illustrates a modified form of the timer; and

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the latch lever employed in the timer shown in Fig. 10.

In the drawings, the valved container or dispenser, for pressurized material is indicated generally at 10 and the spray timer is indicated generally at 11. The valve member of the dispenser 10 is of the usual vertically movable type and is indicated at 12, the valve member being mounted on a tube 13 which extends down into the container and through which the pressurized material in the container passes to be dispensed. The valve member 12 is urged by a spring, not shown, to an upper position in which the member is closed, and to open the valve member it is necessary to depress the same and hold it down. The container or dispenser, which in the instant form is of the disposable type, is provided with a body part 14 having at its upper extremity an upstanding flange 15 forming the rim or mouth portion of the body part. The dispenser has a top 16 through which the tube 13 extends in fluid-tight relation, the top having an upwardly facing annular recess, as at 17,. and having a flange 18 extending over the flange 15 of the body part and clamping the latter in fluid-tight relation. The valved dispenser is of conventional form and, hence, needs no further description.

The spray timer includes a support or frame which, in the present instance, is constituted by a front frame member 20 and a rear frame member 21, both members being of plate form and being arranged in spaced-apart and opposing relationship. The frame members are rigidly interconnected and spaced apart by suitable fastenerelements 22. A small electric motor, indicated generally at 23, is secured to the frame member 21, as at 24, and is disposed at the side of the frame member 21 remote from the frame member 20. The frame member 21 is provided with a lower extension having alaterally projecting ring-like part 21 to fit over the rim of the recessed cover i the dispenser. The ring-like part 219of the frame member is provided with an outer depending lip 21 extending throughout at least a portion of the circumference of the part 21 The lip 21 extends downwardly over the outer surface of the rim of the cover 16. The ring-like part 21 is provided with a series of c'ircumferentially spaced spring lugs 21 depending from the part 21 to releasably grip the inner surface of the rim of. the cover 16. Thus the ring-like part 21 releasably supports on the top of the dispenser the frame, member 21 and. through the latter, the frame member 20 and the motor 23.

The electric motor 23 drives a fast cam 26 and a slow cam 27 through speed-reduction gearing, indicated generally at 28. The speed-reduction gearing includes a pin ion 29 on the motor shaft which meshes with a gear 30 fixed on a shaft suitably supported in the casing and carrying a pinion 31 in fixed relation thereto. The pinion 31 meshes with a gear 32 fixed to a shaft suitably sup-. ported in the casing and carrying in fixed relation a pinion 33. The pinion 33 is larger than the pinion 3'1 and the shaft which carries the pinion 33 also carries, in .angularly fixed relation, the fast cam 26. The pinion 33 meshes with a gear 34 fixed to a shaft suitably mounted in the casing and carrying in fixed relation a pinion 35. The pinion 35, which is of substantially the same size as the pinion 31, meshes with a gear 36 fixed on a shaft suitably supported in the casing. The last-mentioned shaft carries in angularly fixed relation the slow cam 27.

The fast cam 26 cooperates with the trip lever 38 and the slow cam 27 cooperates with the carrier lever 39. The cams 26 and 27 are supported on their respective shafts intermediate the frame members 20 and 21.

The carrier lever 39, best shown in 'Fig. 6, has trunnions 40 near one end which are received in the respective frame members to pivot the lever for vertical swinging movement between the frames. The carrier lever, which is of plate form and is straight, has near the last-mentioned enda longitudinally extending slot 41 to receive one arm of a hairpin spring 42 which urges the other end of the lever in a downward direction. Near the last-mentioned end the lever 39 is provided with a transverse opening 43 to receive, with some clearance, the upper end portion of the vertically arranged latch lever or member 44. The upper portion of the member 44 is shouldered, as at 45, to abut the undensurface of the carrier lever 39 and the upper extremity of the latch member is provided with a hole 46 through which the last-mentioned arm of the spring 42 passes to overlie a portion of the lever 39 and secure to the latter the latch member. As shown in Fig. 5, the other arm of the hairpin spring 42 bears against the uppermost fastener element 22, the arrangement being such that the spring constantly urges the carrier lever 39 in a direction to depress the latch member 44.

Intermediate the ends thereof the latch member 44 is provided with latching lugs 47 extending in opposite directions from the sides of the lever, as best shown in Fig. 7. As shown in the last-mentioned view, the member 44 is provided with a cutout 48 a distance above the latching lugs 47, the cutout 48 being provided to give the slow cam 27 clearance with the latch member as the cam is rotated. Adjacent the lower end portion thereof the member 44 is provided with a tongue 49 which holds one end of a tension spring 50, the other end of the spring being held by a similar tongue 51 provided on the actuating lever 52. The latching lugs 47 of the member 44 are adapted to cooperate with latch shoulders 53 formed on the frame members and 21. The latch shoulders 53 are provided by cutting irregularly shaped openings 54 in the frame members. The latched position of the member 44 is shown in Fig. 1.

Thernember 44 is engageable with the actuating lever 52, which is best shown in Fig. 9, and has at one end portion trunnions 55 which are received in the respective frame members to mount the lever 52 for vertical swing: ing movement. A lug 56 provided on the frame member 21 cooperates with the lever 52 to limit upward swinging movement of the latter. At the other end portion thereof the actuating lever 52 is provided with a flange 57 extending laterally from the lever 52 for engagement with the top of the valve member 12. The frame member 20 is cut away, as at 58, topermi-t the flange 57 to protrude laterally beyond the frame. The spring 50, interconnectingv the member 44 and the lever 52, urges the latch member 44 toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 5.

The'trip' lever 38 is generally of L shape, as shown in Fig. 4 for example, and has a long leg 58 and a shortleg 59. "Near the junction of the last-mentioned leg with the leg 58 the latter has trunnions 6t received in the respective frame members to mount the lever 38 for vertical swinging movement. The arrangement is such that the long leg 58 of the lever cooperates with the fast cam 26 while the short leg 59 cooperates with the latch lever or member 44.

The operation of the spray timer is as follows. When the latch member 44 is unlatch'ed, movement of the carrier lever 39, to which the latch member is secured, is controlled by the spring 42 and the slow cam 27. Rotation of the last-named cam when the member 44 is unlatched serves to lift the carrier lever 39 which is urged downwardly and against the cam by the spring 42. When the latch member 44 is-raised to its highest point through engagement of the slow cam 27 with the carrier lever 39, the member 44 is elevated to approximately the brokenline position of Fig. 5. When the member 44 is in the last-mentioned position, the tension spring 50, when the trip lever 38 is in the position of Fig. 1, draws the lower portion of the member "44 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, so that the latching lugs 47 of the member 44 extend over the latching shoulders 53 of the frame members. In this position the member 44 is latched against downward movement and the lower end of the member is disposed over the outer end portion of the actuating lever 52, as indicated in Fig. 1. When the parts are in this position the actuating lever 52 is raised to the extent that the springbiased valve member 12 of the dispenser is closed. However, when the member 44 is in the latched position of Fig. l and the fast cam 26 is thereafter rotated from the position 01f Fig. l to the position of Fig. 4, the fast cam effects movement of the trip lever 38 from the position of Fig. 1 to the position of Fig. 4. As the trip lever approaches the position of Fig. 4, it pushes the latch member 44 to the right to disengage the latching lugs 47 of the member from the latch shoulders 53. When the latch lever is disengaged from the latch shoulders 53 by the action of the trip lever it is immediately depressed through the action of the spring 42, thereby depressing the actuating lever 52 to the extent that the spring-biased valve member 12 of the dispenser is opened to discharge the material in the dispenser.

As the fast cam 26 continues to rotate and approaches the angular position shown in Fig. 5, the leg 58 of the trip lever is further depressed by the cam 26. This movement of the trip lever 38 serves to push the latch member 44 off the outer end of the actuating lever 52 so that the latter is raised through the action of the spring 50 to the elevated position shown in Fig. 5. As the actuating lever 52 is raised to the position of Fig. 5, the spring-loaded valve member 12 of the dispenser follows the upward movement of the actuating lever. When the last-mentioned valve member is in the raised position of Fig. 5, the discharge from the dispenser is cut off.

Of course, the earns 26 and '27, driven through the speed-reduction gearing 28 when the electric motor 23 is energized, are synchronized, and the contour of the slow cam 27 is such that when the carrier lever 39 is raised by the cam to the broken-line position of Fig. 5 and the member 44 is thereafter latched, the carrier lever leaves the cam 27 as shown in Fig. l. Thereafter, when the latch lever is unlatched through the action of the trip lever 38, the contour of the cam 27 permits the carrier and latch levers to be depressed to their positions shown in Fig. 4. The reduction gearing 28, which drives the fast and slow cams from the electric motor may effect a complete revolution of the fast earn, say, every ten seconds, while a complete revolution of the slow cam is effected every ten minutes, for example. The contour of the fast cam may be such that after it. effects unlatching of the member 44 through the trip lever 38 it eifects movement of the last-named lever to push the latch member olfthe actuating lever within a second or two. Hence it will be understood that there is provided a simple cam arrangement for periodically discharging an insecticide, a deoa dorant or medicinal preparation, for example, at intervals of, say, ten minutes. The cam arrangement also limits the duration of each discharge so that the discharge lasts only for a second or two, for example.

The spray timer illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 is, in many respects, similar to the spray timer shown in Figs. 1 through 9. The modified form of the spraytimer shown in Figs. 10 and 11 difiers from the above-described spray timer only in the details of the fast cam and the latch member and the omission of the trip lever. The latch member 60, best shown in Fig. 11, is similar to the latch member 44 described above. However, the member 60 has a bowed portion 61 intermediate its ends and disposed a distance above the oppositely and laterally extending latching lugs 62 similar to the latching lugs 47 described above. The latch member 60 is supported on the carrier lever in the same manner as the lever 44, described above, and the member 60 is arranged so that the bowed portion 61 extends laterally toward the fast cam 63 to cooperate with the latter. The cam 63 is similar to the cam 26, described above, but has a somewhat different contour. The direct cooperation between the fast cam-63 and the latch shown in Figs. 1 through 9 of the drawings.

'5 member 60 make it unnecessary to employ a trip lever in the timer mechanism.

The operation of the spray timer shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is much the same as the operation of the spray timer The fast cam 63, instead of operating indirectly upon the latch lever through means of a trip lever, acts directly on the latch member 60 to first unlatch the member, thereby effecting discharge of material from the dispenser through operation of the actuating lever. The fast cam bearing against the bowed portion 61 of the member then pushes the member to the extent that the member rides off the outer end portion of the actuating lever to thereby terminate the discharge from the dispenser.

From the foregoing disclosure of two forms of the spray timer, it will be understood that a simple cam arrangement is provided for controlling the intervals and duration of periodic discharges from a dispenser of pressurized material, and it will be further understood that the mechanism is fully automatic. In the timer mechanism the latch member and the actuating and carrier levers may be considered together as an operating means which is operative to open the valve of a pressurized dispenser. In effect, the slow cam of the timer mechanism serves to arm the operating means while the fast cam of the mechanism first serves to trigger the operating means and then serves to render the latter inoperative. As previously in dicated, the timer mechanism for discharging material at predetermined intervals and for controlling the duration of each discharge, is of simple construction and yet is very efiicient and reliable in operation. A further advantage of the timer is that it may be rcmovably connected to a conventional dispenser of pressurized material in such a way that it derives its sole'support from the top of the dispenser.

While two forms of the spray timer have been illustrated in the drawings and described above, it will be apparent to those versed in the art that the timer is susceptible of various modifications and changes in details without departing from the principles of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a timer of the class described, a support, a motor carried by the support, valve-actuating means including an operating member movable from an armed inoperative position to an operative position and being spring biased toward the latter, the valve-actuating means including a latch member which when the last-mentioned means is in armed condition has latching engagement with a part on the support, and cam means operated by the motor through reduction gearing to periodically arm said member and then trip the latter, the cam means acting on said member to also govern the length of time the member is in the operative position thereof. 2. In a timer of the class described, a support, a motor carried by the support, spring-biased valve-actuating means having latching engagement with a part on the support, and cam means operated by the motor through reduction gearing to periodically first arm and latch the valveactuating means and then trip the latter to render it operative, the cam means acting on the valve-actuating means to also govern the length of time the valve-actuating means is operative, the cam means comprising a first rotary cam member to arm the valve-actuating means, and also comprising a second rotary cam member driven at a faster speed, the first trip the valve-actuating means and then govern the length of time it remains operative.

3. In a timer of the class described, a support, a. motor carried by the support, a pair of rotary cams driven from the motor through reduction gearing, one of the cams being driven at more than twice the speed of the other, and spri11g-biased valve-actuating means engageable with means on the support to latch thereagainst, the valveactuating means having an operative connection to the slow cam to be armed and latched periodically by the latter, the valve-actuating means also having an operative connection to the fast cam to first be tripped and rendered operative and then, after a controlled period of time, rendered inoperative. I

4. In a timer of the class described, a supporting frame, motor means carried by the frame including a pair of driven shaft-mounted cams, one of the cams being driven at a speed more than twice as fast as the other, and springbiased valve-actuating means engageable with means on the support to latch thereagainst, the valve-actuating means having an operative connection to the slow cam to be periodically armed and latched by the latter, the valveactuating means also having an operative connection to the fast cam so that the latter first trips the valve-actuating means and then renders the last-named means inoperative.

5. In a timer of the class described, a support, valveactuating means spring biased toward the operative position thereof and including a latch member which when the lastrnentioned means is in armed condition has latching engagement with means on the support, and motoroperated cam means carried by the support to first arm the valve-actuating means and then trip the latter to render it operative, the cam means acting through the valve-actuating means to also govern the length of time the last-named means is operative.

6. In a timer of the class described, a support, a motor carried by the support, a first cam means driven from the motor, a second cam means driven from the motor, the second cam means being driven at more than twice the speed of the first cam means, and spring-biased valveactuating means having an operative connection to the first cam means to be periodically armed by the latter, the valve-actuating means having latching engagement with the support also having an operative connection to the second cam means to periodically be tripped by the latter and then, after a controlled length of time, rendered inoperative.

7. In a timer of the class described, a support, a motor on the support, a pair of rotary cams driven from the motor through reduction gearing, one of the cams being driven at more than twice the speed of the other, a valve operator movable on the support from an operative position to an inoperative position and being spring biased toward the latter, a carrier lever pivoted on the support for swinging movement generally toward and away from the valve operator, the lever being spring biased toward said operator and cooperating with the slow cam to be swung by the latter in a direction away from said operator, and valve-actuating means cooperating with said carrier lever and cooperating with said operator to move the latter to the operative position thereof, the valveactuating means comprising a latch member carried by the carrier lever and extending toward said operator to engage and move the latter, the latch member being moved periodically by the carrier lever to an armed position through rotary movement of the slow cam, the latch member when in armed position having latching engagement with a fixed part on the support, and the latch member having an operative connection to the fast cam to first be tripped to move said operator to the operative position thereof and then, after a controlled length of time, disengage said operator.

8. In a timer of the class described, a support, a motor on the support, a pair of rotary cams driven from the motor through reduction gearing, one cam being driven faster than the other, a valve-operating lever swingable on the support from an operative position to an inoperative position and being spring biased toward the latter, a carrier lever pivoted on the support for swinging movement generally toward and away from the valve-operating lever, the lever being spring biased toward said operating lever and cooperating with the slow cam to be swung in a direction away from said operating lever, and a latch lever carried by the carrier lever and extending toward said operating lever to engage and move the latter 7 to the operative position thereof, the latch lever being moved periodically by the carrier lever to an armed position through rotary movement of the slow cam, the latch lever when in armed position having latching engagement with a fixed part on the support, and the latch lever having operative means of connection to the fast cam to first be tripped to move the valve-operating lever and then, after a controlled length of time, disengage the lastmentioned lever.

9. In a timer of the class described, a support, a motor on the support, a pair of rotary cams driven from the motor through reduction gearing, one cam being driven faster than the other, a valve-operating lever swingable on the support from an operative position to an inoperative position and being spring biased toward the latter, a carrier lever pivoted on the support for swinging movement generally toward and away from said operating lever, the carrier lever being spring biased toward said operating lever and cooperating with the slow cam to be swung by the latter in a direction away from said operating lever, a latch lever carried by the carrier lever and extending toward said operating lever to engage and move the latter to the operative position thereof, the latch lever being moved periodically by the carrier lever to an armed position through rotary movement of the slow cam, the latch lever when in armed position having latching engagement with a fixed part on the support, and a trip lever pivoted on the support having a part thereof cooperating with the fast cam and having another part engageable with the latch lever to first trip the latter to move the operating lever to the operative position thereof and then push the latch lever off the operating lever, after a controlled length of time, to render the latter inoperative.

lO. In a timer of the class described, a support, a motor on the support, a pair of rotary cams driven from the motor through reduction gearing, one of the cams being driven faster than the other, a valve-operating lever swingable on the support from an operative position to an inoperative position and being spring biased toward the latter, a carrier lever pivoted ,on'the support for swinging movement generally toward and away from said operating lever, the carrier lever being spring biased toward said operating lever and cooperating with the slow cam to be swung by the latter in a direction away from the operating lever, and valve-actuating means cooperating with said carrier lever and cooperating with said operating lever to move the latter to the operative position thereof, the valve-actuating means comprising a latch member carried by the carrier lever and extending toward said operating lever to engage and move the latter, the latch member being moved periodically by the carrier lever to an armed position through rotary movement of the slow cam, the latch member when in armed position having latching engagement with a fixed part on the support, and the latch member having a bowed portion intermediate its ends and engageable by the fast cam so that the fast cam first trips the latch member so that the latter may engage and move the valve-operating lever to the operative position thereof and then, after a controlled length of time, disengage the last-mentioned lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 168,245 Ferguson et al. Sept. 28, 1875 2,194,243 Kronmiller et al. Mar. 19, 1940 2,510,465 Ellis June 6, 1950 2,546,695 Macgeorge Mar. 27, 1951 2,608,319 Petry Aug. 26, 1952 2,613,108 Kraus Oct. 7, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTION Patent No 2 971 382 February M 1961 Dwight E Harris It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 5 line 66, fer "the first" read me to first *0 Signed and sealed this 29th day of June 1961,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER DAVID L. LADD A fi g Officer Commissioner of Patents 

